Lost in the modern world--no other text illustrates the class relations of a capitalist society quite like Kafka's Der Verschollene. The 16-year-old Karl Roßmann, cast out by his family and sent to America, must continuously assert himself in ever-changing social configurations. From the technocratic order of his uncle's skyscraper in New York to the reality of two day laborers on the street, the overworked elevator boys of a hotel, and a cramped living situation in an artist community--each scenario plays the societal game of power and powerlessness, where the privileged hold the best cards and tread on the weaker. Yet, it is precisely these outcasts and the lost who refuse to give up their future, continuing to be resourceful as artists of life.

Charlotte Sprenger directs this sensitive, musical, and playful ensemble piece, previously showcasing her work at the Thalia Theater in Hamburg. This marks her first major production at the Münchner Kammerspiele, where she also adapted the Fassbinder film Die dritte Generation in 2022 for the Otto Falckenberg School's annual performance.

"The feeling of powerlessness today arises from our awareness of the circumstances while still adhering to rules we did not create and often cannot comprehend or endorse. The visionary Kafka illustrated this over 100 years ago in his unfinished novel fragment." - Charlotte Sprenger, Director